Even though summer time is about halfway over there is still a lot of grilling left to do. With the joy of grilling for family and friends comes the eventual pressure of making sure every steak, burger, or leg is cooked to perfection. Now, the usual solution is to use those digital thermometers, but those inherently involve being tied down to the grill constantly monitoring internal temperature. Well my friends, liberation is here. Unshackle from the tyranny of the flames and concentrate on enjoying an afternoon with loved ones. This week’s KickStarter Spotlight focuses in on an inventive new device named the BBiQ which is hoping to secure itself in backyards for years to come.

The BBiQ works by monitoring steaks from a base station with a traditional metal thermometer that is inserted into a meat of choice. This device communicates to any smartphone via Bluetooth and it is on said device that the real computing occurs. Just input the food, including some vegetables, and the BBiQ will send alerts as it gets close to being done or even if it just needs to be flipped. Embedded in the app are cooking temperatures for all the backyard staples, and in the future there will even be recipes and an available shopping list.

One of my favorite features, and one that makes the BBiQ the most flexible grilling tool, is the ability to learn recipes of new foods by monitoring how long and at what temperature the previously unknown item is cooked. Obviously, these “custom recipes” can be shared between friends for future cookouts. Another killer feature is the ability for the BBiQ to aid in the grilling of multiple items; something that is much more common. Simply tell the app what needs to be cooked and the app will recommend which items should go on the grill, in what order, and even the position on the grill itself. The app will even work without it’s base station, even though the wireless functionality is lost.

I, for one, am excited to see this and other similar products begin to populate the markets. Myself being no master of the grill this will be an invaluable tool that will not only allow me to be a better cook, but also a better host. As with most projects we feature here the only way the BBiQ becomes a reality is if it meets its goal. So, head over to the KickStarter page and judge for yourself if the BBiQ is indeed the future of barbecuing.